Burlesque Dance Classes

Burlesque was originally an art form that took dramatic and serious works of art, literature, and music and made them funny through caricature and ludicrous treatment. Dance as a part of this movement was mostly in the theaters of London in the Victorian era. It took well known ballets, operas, and plays and parodied them. These were often cast with women who dressed in risqu? fashion in an attempt to poke fun at the conventions of formal and classical theater works. America took the next step in emphasizing the female risqu? elements. After the staging of an English show in New York in 1840 and the tour of a British group in 1868, Americans added their own spice.

American Burlesque took the Victorian shows and made them more like minstrel show with several interesting acts such as acrobats, comedians, sketches, singers, as well as English style pokes at politics or cultural events. These were often followed up with an exotic dancer or a wrestling match. By the end of the 19th century, British shows were dying down in favor of musical comedies. But in America, it was flourishing. The emphasis moved gradually toward 'cooch' or exotic Syrian dances rooted in female nudity. By early in the 20th century, it was competing fiercely with vaudeville shows and had resident companies in large cities like New York.

Today, Burlesque is basically striptease. It enjoyed a period of singing and dancing but was quickly left behind in favor of straight up stripping shows. By the 1930's a show was at least six strippers with a side show of a few comedians and a master of ceremonies. Shows began to dwindle with Prohibition era. Stripping never lost popularity and hung on without the element of the showmanship. The glamour of the era, the costumes, and ultra femininization of the old style shows has made a comeback in recent years.

By the 1990's followers of classic American Burlesque were growing enough to inspire several troupes and revues in New York, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. This Neo-Burlesque movement is still gaining momentum. Dance schools offer dance classes in dance studios with professional teachers. The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and Miss Exotic World Pageant are held annually and are competitive celebrations of this classic form of dance that is gaining popularity again, although still rooted in striptease, and glamorous feminine shows. Studios are located in many large cities.